Can we stop with the farm subsidies already?
The problem is not with subsidy programs that promote environmental stewardship or family farms, it is the payments to corporate farmers that are buying up the land and paying people a pittance to work.
Farmers will plant whatever makes them the most money, so we need to have a farm bill that promotes planting healthier crops and quit subsidizing junk food.
Everything you eat besides produce has corn in it... from the meat that came from corn-fed animals to the corn syrup in your ho hos.
We need to see more fields of fruits and vegetables.
Simply ending subsidies would mean a huge disruption to the economy. Food prices would fluctuate drastically as good and bad weather years hit the U.S. and people would leave farming like crazy to begin with as food prices would remain too low to support them... which would then lead to a massive increase in food prices.
Do you then support drastically expanding food stamps to people who would not be able to afford food because you want to put principle before common sense?
I agree we need to restructure our agricultural policy to encourage better eating habits, but we also need to ensure that family farms aren't put at an unfair disadvantage because big corporate farmers can be more "efficient" simply because they get massive subsidies. Rural America depends on it... and your opinions of rural Americans aside, it is more important than you think.
